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Mohsin Naqvi's fierce hit back at India's no-handshake policy: 'If they don't want it, Pakistan have no desire either'
The Indian men’s and women’s teams have refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in international matches since September
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday once again addressed India’s no-handshake policy, stating that Pakistan has no desire to reciprocate if the BCCI continues with its stance. The Indian men’s and women’s teams have refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in international matches since September, citing solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam attack in April.
The policy was first adopted by the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian T20I side during the men’s Asia Cup in September. It was subsequently followed by the Indian women’s team at the ODI World Cup, as well as the U19 men’s teams during the Asia Cup earlier this month and the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha.
Addressing reporters, Naqvi said Pakistan would engage with India only on equal terms and made it clear that the PCB has no intention of forcing any gestures. He reiterated that Pakistan wants cricket to remain free from political influence and will respect whatever stance India chooses to take.
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“Our belief remains the same even today, and believe me, the Prime Minister himself has told me twice that we shouldn’t let politics come into all of this. From day one, our stance has been that cricket and politics should remain separate. On that day, Sarfaraz must have told you what kind of attitude was shown, and what it was like,” Naqvi said in a press conference in Lahore.
"If they don’t want to shake hands, then we have no particular desire to do so either. Whatever happens, it will happen on an equal footing with India. And you will see, this approach will continue going forward. It’s not possible for them to do one thing and for us to back down — that simply won’t happen,” Naqvi added.
Naqvi’s remarks came days after Pakistan U19 mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed accused the Indian team of “unethical” behaviour during the Asia Cup final earlier this month. Reports later suggested that the PCB chief was considering raising the issue with the ICC.
Ahead of the tournament in the UAE, the ICC had reportedly urged the BCCI to reconsider its no-handshake policy, stressing the need to keep politics out of junior-level cricket. The matter was eventually left to the Indian board’s discretion. However, the BCCI chose to stick to its stance, maintaining the policy during both the group-stage clash against Pakistan and the final.
